Superced was representative of a small but vocal minority at easyJet who have hated every single company they have ever worked for. His recruitment by easyJet was an enormous error of judgement and I am absolutely delighted he has left to another company he will come to hate and despise too.
With the notable exception of the Berlin-based pilots, who have their own particular battle with the company that shows no signs of ending, you will find few pilots at easyJet these days who hate the company, including the ones who are leaving for BA. Quite understandably, as young men in their early twenties, they are attracted by the full career opportunities on offer there, and everyone wishes them well. Nonetheless, if you cannot fly for a national carrier from a young age, easyJet is a great place to be instead. The area we have most got wrong is the flexicrew issue and the lack of recruitment of experienced but non-rated pilots from the military, turboprop outfits etc. There are signs that will change by the end of the year, but the big unknown is how many pilots we will actually need. There has been growing resentment among the pilot workforce at the constant stream of many hundred 150-200 hour pilots through our doors. The lack of balance in that recruitment stream does us no favours and the sooner it changes the better.
As an aside, we have now offered permanent contracts to every 'suitable' flexicrew pilot who has worked more than eighteen months for us so we are slowly getting there.
Regarding the subject of the thread, anybody joining easyJet any time soon believing they will get a quick command should be very wary. There is every sign that our fleet expansion is grinding to a halt, and that is the primary driver for recruitment. Yes, there are people leaving, but not by the hundreds as has been reported. I do not have the exact figures but I believe we have had around 165 promotions this last year. Nobody knows next year's plan yet, but I will be surprised if it is as many as that - and we will comfortably have that number of First Officers to promote from our current pilots.
Last edited by Norman Stanley Fletcher; 27th Jun 2011 at 01:42.